JAE RIN POV — STUDIO, NIGHT
The studio lights were dim.
Only the small lamp near the piano was on.
Jae Rin sat on the floor, notebook in her lap, pen moving slowly across the page.
She had read the article three times already.
She shouldn't have.
But she did.
CEO KEIFER WATSON WAS ALLEGEDLY ENGAGED YEARS AGO — RELATIONSHIP ENDED SUDDENLY
Her fingers tightened around the pen.
Engaged.
A few years after she disappeared.
Of course he moved on.
Of course he did.
Her chest felt heavy.
She whispered softly,
"…Good for him."
But the words didn't feel real.
Her eyes dropped to the notebook again.
Lyrics filled the page.
Slow.
Sad.
Quiet.
She whispered while writing.
"Watch as she stands with her, holding your hand
Put your arm 'round her shoulder, now I'm getting colder"
Her hand stopped.
Sleep.
Her eyes moved to the small bottle on the table.
Sleeping pills.
She stared at it for a long moment.
Then picked it up.
Opened it.
Took one.
Swallowed it dry.
No water.
No expression.
It started eleven years ago.
After the betrayal.
After the rumors.
After the night everything broke.
She stopped sleeping.
Night after night.
Same memories.
Same voices.
Same pain.
When she came to Korea five years ago…
It got worse.
That was when Percy found out.
Percy.
Min Jae.
Yuna.
Sora.
Jisoo.
Only them.
They were the only ones who knew she couldn't sleep without pills.
The door opened quietly.
Min Jae walked in.
He stopped immediately when he saw the bottle.
"You took one again?"
She didn't look at him.
"…Yeah."
He sighed.
"You said you were getting better."
"I am."
"Then why tonight?"
Silence.
He looked at the notebook.
"You saw the article."
She closed the page quickly.
"It's nothing."
Min Jae crossed his arms.
"You don't take sleeping pills for nothing."
She looked away.
"…Couldn't sleep."
He walked closer.
"You wrote about him, didn't you."
She froze.
He already knew.
Of course he knew.
He always knew.
He picked up the notebook.
She grabbed it fast.
"Don't."
He looked at her quietly.
"You disappeared for eleven years."
"You survived cancer."
"You survived your family."
"You survived Section E."
"And you still can't sleep because of that day."
Her fingers tightened.
"…Not because of him."
Min Jae didn't argue.
Because he knew.
It wasn't just Keifer.
It was everything.
That classroom.
That night.
That betrayal.
That feeling of being alone.
He spoke softly.
"Percy called earlier."
Her head lifted immediately.
"What?"
"He asked if you're sleeping properly."
Her expression changed slightly.
"…You told him?"
"He already knows."
Of course he did.
Percy always knew.
He was there when she couldn't sleep for days.
He was there when doctors gave her the first pills.
He was there when she cried without making a sound.
Min Jae sat beside her.
"He said not to stop the medication suddenly."
She looked down.
"…I know."
Min Jae spoke again.
"They're coming back."
Her chest tightened.
"…Who."
"Section E."
"They finished work in Manila."
"They're coming to Korea."
Her hand moved slowly toward the pill bottle again.
Min Jae caught her wrist gently.
"You don't need another one."
Her voice was quiet.
"…I wasn't going to."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"They still don't know anything."
She whispered,
"They can't."
Min Jae nodded.
"They won't."
Silence filled the room.
She opened the notebook again.
And wrote one last line.
" I'm not even half as pretty
You gave her your sweater, it's just polyester
But you like her better
Wish I were-…"
A tear fell on the page.
She wiped it quickly.
Closed the notebook.
Turned off the lamp.
And sat in the dark.
Waiting for sleep to come.
Because sleep was the only place
where the past
couldn't reach her.
CHAPTER 21 — THE SONG THAT SAID WHAT SHE NEVER DID
FEW DAYS LATER — SEOUL
The airport in Seoul was crowded as always.
Flashes.
Cameras.
Fans everywhere.
But the people walking out of the private terminal didn't care about the noise.
Keifer Watson.
Aries Fernandez.
Angelo Fernandez.
Ci-n.
Rory.
Edrix.
And the rest of Section E.
Back in Korea.
Back in the country where everything started.
Aries adjusted his coat.
"We shouldn't be here."
Ci-n smirked.
"You said that in Manila too."
Angelo sighed.
"We didn't come for fun."
Keifer didn't say anything.
His eyes moved across the airport slowly.
Like he expected to see someone.
He didn't.
Of course he didn't.
But the feeling wouldn't go away.
She was here.
Somewhere in this city.
Ci-n checked his phone.
"…Well that was fast."
Aries frowned.
"What?"
Ci-n turned the screen toward them.
"Jae Rin dropped a new song."
Angelo blinked.
"Already?"
Rory whistled.
"Bro look at the streams."
Edrix leaned closer.
"No way."
Ci-n read out loud.
"50 million… in three hours."
Silence.
Even Keifer looked.
The song title was simple.
"Heather"
His chest tightened slightly.
Aries scoffed.
"She releases songs every few months."
Ci-n shook his head.
"No… this one is different."
Angelo frowned.
"Play it."
Ci-n pressed play.
The music started soft.
Piano.
Slow beat.
Then her voice.
Low.
Emotional.
Not like her usual powerful songs.
This one sounded… broken.
Keifer froze.
Her voice filled the car as they drove out of the airport.
🎵
still remember, third of December, me in your sweater
You said it looked better on me than it did you
Only if you knew how much I liked you
But I watch your eyes as sheWalks by
What a sight for sore eyes
Brighter than the blue sky
She's got you mesmerized while I dieWhy would you ever kiss me?
I'm not even half as pretty
You gave her your sweater, it's just polyester
But you like her better
Wish I were HeatherWatch as she stands with her, holding your hand
Put your arm 'round her shoulder, now I'm getting colder
But how could I hate her? She's such an angel
But then again, kinda wish she were dead as she
🎵
No one spoke.
Even Ci-n didn't joke.
Aries looked out the window.
Angelo's expression changed.
Keifer stared straight ahead.
The lyrics continued.
🎵
Walks by
What a sight for sore eyes
Brighter than the blue sky
She's got you mesmerized while I dieWhy would you ever kiss me?
I'm not even half as pretty
You gave her your sweater, it's just polyester
But you like her better
I wish I were HeatherI wish I were Heather
(Oh, oh)
Wish I were HeatherWhy would you ever kiss me?
I'm not even half as pretty
You gave her your sweater, it's just polyester
But you like her better
Wish I were-
🎵
The song ended quietly.
Silence filled the car.
Ci-n muttered,
"…Damn."
Rory shook his head.
"She sounds like she went through hell."
Angelo spoke softly.
"She did."
Aries didn't say anything.
Keifer finally spoke.
"…Play it again."
Ci-n looked at him.
"You serious?"
Keifer didn't look at him.
"Play it."
The song started again.
This time Keifer listened to every word.
Every pause.
Every breath.
Every crack in her voice.
Something inside his chest felt tight.
Like the song wasn't just sad.
Like it was personal.
Like it was written for someone.
He didn't know why…
but he couldn't shake the feeling
that the song was about the past.
About them.
About him.
He clenched his jaw slightly.
"…Find out where she is."
Ci-n looked at him.
"You really think she'll meet us again?"
Keifer's voice was low.
"She will."
Aries frowned.
"You sound sure."
Keifer looked out the window.
"I waited eleven years."
His eyes hardened.
"I'm not stopping now."
SAME TIME — JAE RIN POV — SEOUL
The studio screen showed the numbers going up every second.
10M
22M
35M
50M
Yuna screamed.
"50 MILLION!!"
Sora laughed.
"That was fast even for you."
Jisoo clapped.
"Queen behavior."
Min Jae leaned on the table.
"You knew this would happen."
Jae Rin sat quietly in the chair.
No smile.
No excitement.
Just watching the screen.
Yuna noticed.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"Yeah."
Sora raised an eyebrow.
"You don't look okay."
She looked away.
"…Didn't sleep."
Min Jae sighed.
Of course.
He already knew.
Jisoo spoke softly.
"You took the pill?"
She didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Yuna sat beside her.
"You should rest."
Jae Rin shook her head.
"I have practice."
Sora crossed her arms.
"You just released a song that broke the internet and you want practice?"
She stood up slowly.
"I need it."
Min Jae watched her carefully.
He knew that look.
That was the look she had when the past was too loud in her head.
He spoke quietly.
"They're in Korea."
She stopped walking.
For one second.
Just one.
Then she kept moving.
"…I know."
Yuna blinked.
"How do you know?"
She picked up her phone.
Showed the news article.
WATSON ENTERPRISES CEO KEIFER WATSON ARRIVES IN SEOUL WITH FERNANDEZ FAMILY
Silence.
Jisoo whispered,
"…That was fast."
Sora muttered,
"This is getting bad."
Min Jae looked at her.
"You okay?"
She forced a small smile.
"I survived worse."
But her hand slowly moved toward her pocket.
Where the small pill bottle was.
And Min Jae noticed.
He gently stopped her.
"Not now."
She looked at him.
For a moment her eyes looked tired.
Really tired.
"…I won't."
But deep inside
the song she just released
was still playing in her head.
And so was the past.
And now the past
was in the same city again.